Lucas Paqueta slammed after what West Ham United star did in Brazil defeat
Lucas Paqueta will return to West Ham United following a performance to forget in Brazil's shock 1-0 loss to Paraguay on 11 September.
Brazilian outlet GE Globe were not massively impressed (10 September) as while Paqueta "didn't sin", the Irons star couldn't make the difference expected of him in a below-par Selecao performance.
Paqueta was said to lack creativity in the early stages, and although he improved in the second half, the 27-year-old was given just a 4.5/10 rating.
Goal.com were less critical in their ratings (11 September), awarding Paqueta a 7/10 and saying the Hammers star "operated effectively" and connected between the lines in the final third.
West Ham will hope for more as Lucas Paqueta makes return
An early-season international break will have given Irons fans the chance to watch Paqueta and his Brazil side without the pressure of the Premier League applied, with potential injuries the biggest concern.
However, with Paqueta coming through the break unscathed, Hammers fans will likely not pay much attention to his somewhat inconsistent form during the first break.
One person who might, though, is Julen Lopetegui, with Paqueta showing some of the same frailties that were exposed in the first half by Manchester City in their last match before the break commenced.
Paqueta is a player whose versatility allows Lopetegui to utilise him in attacking midfield, out wide, or in a deeper position, but it remains to be seen in which of these he operates the most effectively.
Questions will remain as the Irons prepare for their first league matches after the break – three back-to-back London derbies no less – and where to play Paqueta could well be the biggest of those issues.
In other West Ham news, Sean Whetstone has given a verdict on how active the Hammers will be in the January transfer window.
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